Where You Belong

47

Meredith sighed contentedly as she leaned back against Derek's strong chest, her hands playfully running through the mound of bubbles before her. "This was a good idea," she murmured.

Derek chuckled, his lips finding her neck as his arms snaked around her waist. "Mmm," he agreed.

She giggled. "I still think we went overboard with the bubbles."

He nuzzled the back of her head as he moved his lips to the other side of her neck. "Too many?"

"It just seems like a lot."

"I wouldn't know. I've never been much of a bath-guy before..."

She giggled. "You're in one now."

He sighed and his lips forewent their migration across her neck for a moment to nuzzle up to her cheek. "Hmm, this has a lot more to do with who's in the bath with me..."

Meredith smiled as her heart constricted; she really was happy. "It does, does it?"

"Mmm, definitely."

"Good."

He laughed and went back to kissing her neck, his lips reaching as far forward as her clavicle.

She started when his hands began to wander downwards from her waist. "We don't have much time..."

"We have plenty of time."

"You have plenty of time," she retorted. "I have rounds..."

"You can be late. I'll write you a note."

She laughed. "Yeah, cause I can really see Bailey accepting that without putting me on scut for the rest of my life. I wouldn't put it past her; she's already pissed that Cristina is scrubbing in with Burke all the time."

"Then we'll just have to be quick so you're not late."

"Derek..."

"Meredith..."

She giggled, but was cut off before she could respond by the sound of her cell phone ringing.

Derek groaned. "Ignore it."

Meredith hesitated before extracting herself from his arms. "It's early," she reminded. "It could be important." There were very few people who would call at this time in the morning.

"Hello?" She said into her phone after she had hurried from the bathroom to pick it off of her bed side table.

"Dr. Grey?"

"Yes."

"This is Fran. I'm calling about your mother."

Meredith's blood ran cold. "Is she okay?" Footsteps followed her from the bathroom, and she looked up to meet Derek's worried eyes.

"She seems to be okay physically," Fran continued. "But she hasn't been eating much the last couple days."

Meredith ran a worried hand through her hair. "Is she nauseous? Has she been vomiting? She had a benign growth on her liver about eight months ago, but-"

"She doesn't seem to be sick, Dr. Grey," Fran cut her off. "I'm sorry if I've worried you. She just seems...off. When we prompt her to eat, she claims she's too busy. We were hoping you could come in and speak with her."

She sighed as she glanced towards the clock. She'd be late to work, but this was definitely an acceptable reason to be late. And it would be better to go now, in the morning, then after her shift. "I...okay. I'll be in as soon as I can."

"Great. We'll see you then."

"Yeah," Meredith said absently, turning around just in time to see Derek approaching her. He had a towel wrapped around his waist, and was holding a second one out to her.